Outdoor Briefs: Fishing Derby for Kids at Island Lake

Three hundred kids will have the opportunity to "reel in the big one" at the 2008 Kitsap County Youth Fishing Derby on June 21 at Island Lake.

Kitsap County Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation and other local organizations, is sponsoring the "Take me Fishing" program. The derby runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is for boys and girls 5-14. All participants will receive a Zebco rod and reel and a T-shirt. Cost is $5.

Only 300 slots are available. Registration deadline is June 13. Call (360) 337-5350 for more information.

MISCELLANY

Harsh winter conditions took a heavy toll on elk in the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area in recent months, even though wildlife managers trucked in tons of hay to feed them. According to preliminary data from a survey conducted last week, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists and two-dozen volunteers counted approximately 150 elk that had succumbed after months of driving rain, cold temperatures and heavy snowfall that extended into April. ... Recreational shrimp fishing is now closed in all waters of Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2, which include the Mukilteo, Everett and Saratoga Passage shrimp fishing grounds. ... The lower Columbia River will remain closed to steelhead fishing until further notice to avoid the incidental catch of protected upriver spring chinook salmon, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon announced Monday.